1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to ceramic tiling, and more particularly to a tool used to clean out and level the adhesive between ceramic tiles during installation.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the installation of tile, a time-consuming and inconvenient step is the cleaning out of excess adhesive from the grout joints after the tile is beaten in. Tile installation typically proceeds as follows. Tile adhesive is keyed into the backing surface with the straight side of a trowel, and is then combed to a uniform depth using the notched side of the trowel held at a consistent 45°angle. It is good practice to clean the edges next to adjacent tile of excess adhesive with a margin trowel to prevent too much adhesive squeeze into the grout joint. The final step in setting the tile is to beat in the tile with a beating block and rubber mallet. After beat in, the tile surface is cleaned with a tile sponge.
Since adhesive typically is squeezed into the grout joints during beat in and may fill the joints unevenly and in some places to excess, the excess adhesive should be cleaned out from the grout joints when the tile surface is being cleaned. A common method of removing excess adhesive from grout joints is to run a “spacer” along the joint. Spacers are a type of known device for uniformly spacing tiles during installation to establish uniform grout joints. Although they are commonly used by tile professionals for excess adhesive removal, they are not specifically made for this purpose. A typical spacer is made from a non-porous material such as plastic or rubber, and resembles a “+”-sign. Prong widths of 1/16 inch, ⅛ inch, 3/16 inch and ¼ inch are typical. Once the adhesive dries, the spacers in place between the tiles are removed, and grout is applied over the dried adhesive in the region between the tiles.
When removing excess adhesive with a spacer, the spacer is run down the grout joints at an incline so that the spacer does not reach the bottom of the channel between the tiles. It is preferable to leave some adhesive in the region between the tiles to increase the bonding strength of the tiles. The spacer collects the excess adhesive down to a depth that typically and disadvantageously is neither precisely known nor constant, leaving a channel of adhesive that irregularly fills a portion of the grout joint between the tiles.
There are several drawbacks to using a spacer to remove the excess adhesive. First, the spacers themselves are relatively small, which makes them difficult to handle and can cause discomfort to the fingers. Second, after a spacer has been used to remove the excess adhesive, it is difficult to clean because of its small size, and as a result typically ends up being thrown out. This is wasteful. Third, if a tiling job entails a large number of tiles, a large number of spacers may be used for cleaning out the excess adhesive between the tiles, and may therefore be thrown out. This may prove expensive, and the large number of spacers that are used only for cleaning may unnecessarily increase the cost of the job.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a tool that is comfortable to use, can remove the excess adhesive from the channel between adjacent ceramic tiles during installation, can be cleaned easily for reuse, and can easily accommodate a variety of installation spacings between the tiles.